Coupling for electric circuits



(No Model.)

A. O. GRIGGS.

GOUPLXNG FOR ELEGTRG CIRCUITS.

No. 399,326. Patented Mar. 12, .1889.

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a@ wf@ Alf. /Mf- UNITED STATES PATENT ALBERT C. GRIGGS, OFllvlLMlNG'lON, DELA WARE.

COUPLING FOR ELECTRIC CiRCUI'I-S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,326, dated Marchl2, 1889.

Application tiled January 2, 1889, Serial No. 295,203. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT C. GRIGGS, ot Vilmington, county of NewCastle, State of Delaware, have invented a new and useful Coupling forElectric Circuits, of which the following is a true and exactdescription, ret` erence being had to the accompanying drawings, whicht'orm a part of this specification.

My invention relates to couplings for two electric wires forming oradapted to form part of an electric circuit, and it is especiallydesigned for use in a system of electric signaling from the cars of arailway-train to the engine-such, for instance, as is shown anddescribed in my patent, No. 393,51, ot' November 27, 1888.

The objects which my coupling is devised to attain are, rst, to enablethe coupling of the wires of two cars to be easily, promptly, andsecurely made, and, secon d, to temporarily close the circuit in the actot coupling or uncoupling, so as to aetuate the signal as each car isjoined or parted from another, thus insuring the proper union of thewires in the train and their working condition `and giving notice ifthey get out ot' order.

The novel features ot' my invention are clearly pointed out in theclaims, and will be best understood after reference to the drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 shows an engine and train of cars iitted with my device.Fig. 2 shows the front end of a car having my electric coupling and abox for keeping it in when not in use. Fig. 3 is a plan View of two ofmy couplings partly united, the interior mechanism being exposed by theremoval of the covers and a partial sectioning of the couplers. Fig. atis a crosssection on the lineaf ot` Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a section on theline y y, and Fig. 6 a modifica tion of part of my device.

A is the engine; B, an electric signaling device, here shown as a bell.C is a battery; D and E, the wires forming the electric circuit, thesignal B being interposed in wire D. F F are cars.

G G are my improved couplings, here shown as situated beneath thecar-tloor, but capable of being applied at any part of the end ot thecar. These couplings are each made up of the L-shaped box'H H,(preferably made of hard rubber, thoughany hard non-eonduet ingsubstance could be used,) said box being hollowed out on one side intheln'oader part, H, as is shown at Il?, a lid, lli", (see Fig. 4,)being provided to cover this hollow space. The bottom ol the hollow ll2slotted, as is shown at H5, HG, and HT, and the shank HS ot the couplingis hollowed out to the hollow H2, as is shown at H". rl`he slot H"lforms a continuation of an opening or hole, 7i, in the evtended arm H otthe box. An opening, 71", also extends from slot HG through the troni`wall of the part H.

I is a `brass or other metallic conductor formed to tit in the hole r"of the arm ll and in the slot H5. As shown, it is hollowed out in front,as at t'.

J is a brass conductor having a shank littiug into the slot H". ltextends out through the opening 7l, and its projecting end is adapted toenter and make a tight connection and contact with the tubular parti ofthe conductor l in a similar box. This projecting part ot' J ispreferably split, as is shown at and provided with an enlarged end, j',and a shoulder, j?, made to lit neatly into mouth of tube z', so as toexclude the entrance ol dust or moisture, and an enlargement, vt", ispreferably formed near the bottom ot tube l' to receive the head j. Inthe slot H is secured a rod, N, having a shoulder, n, and extending outthrough an opening, 71T, in the wale ot the hollow H3. A light spring,O, holds this rod normally in the position shown in Fig. 3.

L is a fixed tongue oi' metal secured in box H2, so as to be in electriccontact withV the conductor J; M, a metal tongue pivoted at one end soas to be in electric connection with conductor l. It is also pivoted tothe block In, as shown, and has a projecting end adapted to touch andmake electric contact with the fixed tongue l. as the rod Y moved in andout.

K K are clamps, preferably ol` copper, by which the wires D and F. areconnected with the conductors .,T and l, respectively.

R R are screws which hold the lid lli in place. As shown, they screwinto threaded holes yr r in the metal conductors T and l.

P, Fig. 2, a box secured on the end ot' the car-platform and providedwith an interior door or lid, Q, normally held closed by its I OCIweight or a light spring. The purpose of this is to furnish an inclosingdevice for the coupling G when not in use, so that it will not becomewet or dirty.

It is of course obvious that electric communication is made between thewires Dand E of two cars as soon as the couplings G 'are unit-ed, asshown in Fig. 3, and that such connection can be made with great easeand quickness. It will also be evident that the spring of the split projceting end of conductor J will cause its head-jl to make so tight at'rictional contact with the tubular parte' of conductor I as to makethe union of two couplers G suiiiciently strong t'or all practicalpurposes, especially when the enlargement is formed to receive the headj', while they will part without breaking in case the cars themselvesare uncoupled.

As shown in Fig. 3, the couplers G G are not joined to the full extentintended, and it will be seen that as they are pushed together the endsof the arms H will come in contact with the ends of rods N and push themin, compressing spring O between the back of hollow H2 and the shouldern. As shoulder In moves back with the rod, the pivoted tongue moves withit and its point comes in contact with the point of the ixed tongue N,thus closing the circuit formed by the wires D and E and actuating thesignal B. As the vcouplings G G move still closer together, the pivotedtongue crosses the point of tongue N, breaking the contact, and thecouplings are in their cated in dotted lines in Fig. The shoulders j?,when the couplings are fully joined, t into the mouths of the tubes tand close them, as already explained. Then the couplings are separated,t-he spring() will ltorce the rod N out to its normal position, thusmaking again a temporary connection between tongues Il and M andactuating the signal, so as to notify the engineer of the separation.

By the device shown each end of the car is provided with a right andleitt coupler, and any two cars can be properly united electrically. Aiitting of some water-tight substance should of course be used to closethe holes or passages IlJl after the wires D and E are inserted in it.My device is, when constructed as shown and described, practicallyimpervious to dust and moisture. I believe that I am the tirst to devisemeans for closing the circuit in the act ot coupling and uncoupling thewires, and the device above described is the one I think best adaptedfor this use; but I do not intend to be understood as limiting my claimsto the use ot' this particular arrangement, except where it isspecifically referred to therein, as any electrician could substitutefor it substantially equivalent devices for accomplishing the samepurpose, the essential feature being that the conductors I and J, or oneof them, should be provided with tongues or a tongue so placed and socombined with actuating mechanism set in motion by a spring and by thejoining ot the couplings and by whichl a closing of the circuit shall beaccomplished in the acts of coupling and uncoupling. Thus obviously thetongue N can be dispensed with, and the pivoted tongue M elongated, soas to cross and make contact with the conductor J directly; or, insteadot pivoting the tongue M, it could be made as shown in Fig. G, in whichMis a spring secured to conductor I at one end and normally having itsother end above but not in contact with conductor J.

n2 is a cam secured to rod N, which, as said rod moves backward orforward, will press the spring down into contact with J and permit it torise again, thus accomplishing the sam result as in my preferred plan.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- I '1. As an electric-circuitoouplingdevice, the L-shaped box H H in combination with a conductor, I, securedin it and having an open tubular end, e', extending through the arm H',a conductor, J, with projecting split end and enlarged head j', andclamps secured to said conductor, whereby electric wires may be securedin contact with them, all substantially as specified, and for thepurpose of making a coupling with a similar coupling device.

2L As an electric-circuit-coupling device, the L-shaped box H H incombination with a conductor, I, secured in it and having an opentubular end, t', extending through the arm. H', a conductor, J, withprojecting split end, enlarged head j and collarjg, adapted to makeaneat iit in tube t', and clamps secured to said conductor, wherebyelectric wires may be secured in contact with them, all substantially asspecified, and for the purpose of making a coupling witha similarcoupling device.

3. As an electric-circuit-coupling device, the L-shaped box H II', incombination with a conductor, I, secured in it and having an opentubular end, fi, extending through the arm H, a conductor, J, withprojecting split end and enlarged head j', a rod, N, projecting throughthe i'ront end of the part H, a spring, O, connected with said rod, asspeciiied, a tongue, M, electrically connected with one of theconductors in the box, and mechanism connecting said tongue with the rodN, whereby as said rod moves in or out said tongue is moved to maketemporary contact with the second conductor, substantially as and forthe purpose specified. l

4. As an elect-ric-circuit-coupling device, the L-shaped box II II', incombination with a conductor, I, secured in it and having an opentubular end, y2', extending through the arm H, a conductor, J, withprojecting split end and enlarged head j', a rod, N, projecting throughthe front end of the part H, a spring7 O, connected with said rod, asspecified, and a tongue, M, in electric contact with one of theconductors in the box, said tongue being pivoted at one end to the boxor c011- IOO IIO

duit, pivot-ed also on the rod N, and having a projecting end arrangedtomake temporary contact with the second conductor as the rod N moves inor out, all substantially as and for the purpose Specified.

5. As an electric-circuit-coupling device, the L-shaped box H H', incombination with a conductor, I, secured in it and having,` an opentubular end, if, extending through the arm H', a conductor, J, Withprojecting,` split end and enlarged hea-d j', a rod, N, projecting`through the front end of the part H, a Spring, O,` connected with saidrod, as specified, a tongue, M, in electric Contact with one of theconductors in the box, said tongue bci arranged so as to make temporarycontact 2o with the proj ecting end of pivoted tong-ue )i as the rod Nis moved in or out, all Substantially as and for the purpose speciiied.

ALBERT C. GRIGGS.

\\'tnessea:

W. G. WHITELEY, VEENJ. H, B. ENNIS.

